Conducting an Informational Interview
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Conducting anInformational Interview
Name of Student
Institution affiliation
Frank is among one of the most renowned counselorsin California, I took some time and requested for an appointment withhim. I wanted to carry out an interview so as to comprehend whatcounseling entails since it is my dream career. Below is a piece ofthe interview that I conducted with Frank, him being the intervieweeand I being the interviewer.
Interviewer: What is counseling?
Frank: Counseling is the act of offering guidanceto others and letting them make decisions on their affairs.
Interviewer: Can you advise someone to takecounseling as a career?
Frank: Yes, this is because counseling is anexcellent job as it plays a significant role in other people’slives. Also, it enables one to earn a living through offering his orher services to others.
Interviewer: Is counseling stressful?
Frank: No, judging from my experience in thisprofession, I do not think that counseling is stressful since it isusually enjoyable as one gets to interact with others.
Interviewer: Is there any difference betweenoffering counseling services in a school setup and from other setups?
Frank: Yes, the difference is that, the targetpopulation in high schools entails individuals who are maturing andrequire a lot of care than in other setups.
Interviewer: Is counseling important?
Frank: Yes, It is quite imperative as it helpsindividuals get back on track in case they go astray in any aspect oftheir lives.
Interviewer: Is counseling disadvantageous?
Frank: Sometimes counseling is usuallydisadvantageous to the counselor as it drains him or her.
Interviewer: What do you mean by, “draining acounselor”?
Frank: Without proper guidance, a counselor mightend up getting affected by the case scenarios of his or her clientsthus weakening him or her physically, emotionally or holistically.
Interviewer: Is being a counselor lucrative?
Frank: It depends on one’s motives while joiningthe profession.
Interviewer: Does it offer job satisfaction?
Frank: Yes, counseling provides job satisfactionto those who get passionate about it.
Interviewer: Does counseling help?
Frank: Yes, counseling helps a lot, especially tothose that are usually in dire need of the services, if they areready to change, counseling helps in their transformation.
I learned that counseling is both a good and ahelpful career it promotes the conversion of individuals from worseto better. What surprised me is that, counseling can impactnegatively on the counselor, yet he or she is usually the oneoffering guidance to those in need of it. For instance, Frank saysthat counseling as a profession can drain the counselor bothphysically and emotionally.
Some of the questions that I have on the careerare whether counseling is a risky job, also if it is usually free ofcorruption, why do counselors offer strict schedules and guidelinesto their clients? Another question is about the retirement age of acounselor. I think this occupation could be useful to me since I likethings that are usually involving and challenging, do counselorsretire or they go by the phrase “once a counselor, always acounselor?”
I think I would like to pursue this occupationsince my instincts show me that I possess a passion for helpingothers with an aim of making them live a better life that is freefrom distractions and troubles of life. Another reason as to why Iwould like to pursue this occupation is that, it can offer anopportunity for one to be his or her own boss.
Reference
Hoffman, L., & Youngblade, L. (n.d.). Children`s DailyFamily Lives: The After-School Day Interview. Mothers at Work,45-75. doi:10.1017/cbo9780511629471.004
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